Why did the Netherlands adopt nationwide proportional representation? The Dutch prioritised proportionality above all else when creating their system of proportional representation; choosing a single nationwide constituency and a very low threshold. This is different to most countries which try to balance local... Posted 01 Apr 2023
How do Finland’s elections work? On Sunday 2nd April, voters in Finland will go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Finland’s parliament, known locally as the Eduskunta, contains exactly 200 MPs. 199 of these are elected by Party... Posted 20 Mar 2023
How many countries around the world use proportional representation? Proportional representation is the most popular form of democracy for countries in the world today. Proportional Representation isn’t one electoral system though, it’s the simple idea that the strength of each faction in parliament should... Posted 20 Mar 2023
How did Denmark get proportional representation? Denmark today is home to one of the most proportional voting systems in the world, but, for a long time, elections to the Danish Folketing took place using First Past the Post. So why and... Posted 01 Mar 2023
How do elections work in Estonia? Estonia is undoubtedly one of eastern Europe’s biggest success stories since the collapse of communism – its economy has developed quickly (with a GDP (PPP) per capita now on a par with Japan) and it... Posted 25 Feb 2023
Why did Belgium adopt proportional representation? In 1899, Belgium became the first country in the world to adopt a proportional system for national elections. At that point, it had primarily been the preserve of theoretical debate, with only a handful of... Posted 01 Feb 2023
What are the alternatives to First Past the Post? Westminster’s First Past the Post system means we don’t get a parliament that fully represents the voting public. Millions of people can support one party and get a single MP, while a few hundred thousand... Posted 19 Jan 2023
How did Switzerland get proportional representation? In the early 1890s, a handful of Swiss cantons (states) held the first public elections in Europe to truly use proportional representation (PR). The success of these early votes meant that over the next few... Posted 06 Jan 2023
A wave of cities across the United States switch to fair voting systems This week’s big electoral story is America’s midterm elections and the failure of the predicted ‘Red Wave’ to materialise. However, an underreported story has been the high number of cities that accepted proposals to introduce... Posted 11 Nov 2022
How do elections work in the Australian states? Six months after choosing a new federal parliament, voters in the key Australian state of Victoria will be returning to the polling booth this Saturday (26th November), not just in hope of getting their hands... Posted 10 Nov 2022